Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday accused some religious clerics as being the driving force of violence in the state.
El-Rufai, who spoke when the Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, led a delegation on a courtesy visit at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna, said “the main drivers of this violence are a few clerics that use their platforms, not to preach peaceful co-existence or promote our common humanity. Rather, they use their platforms and revered positions to divide and incite violence.”
Earlier, Most Reverend Ndukuba said “I believe that if Christians will stand for what they believe and Muslims will stand for what they believe, and each one does what he should do in consideration of his brother and sister and neighbour, I believe that we have all that it takes to be a great nation,” he said.
The Pentecostal Bishops Forum of the 19 Northern States (PBFNS) in Nigeria recently called for an immediate fortification of security arrangements in the entire Southern Kaduna communities.
The Pentecostal Prelate and Chairman, PBFNS, JohnPraise Daniel, told newsmen at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja that the killings in Southern Kaduna must stop immediately.
Bishop Daniel who is also founder of Dominion Chapel International Church, said the government must ensure prompt arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of the dastardly act as well as their sponsors, whoever and wherever they may be.
The Kaduna State Government recently reviewed the 24-hour curfew in two of the four local government areas in the southern part of the state.
Zangon Kataf, Kauru, Kaura and Jama’a had been under a 24-hour curfew following mass killings and destruction.
On June 11, the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kauru and Zangon Kataf following clashes arising from the killing of a farmer in the area by unknown persons.
The incident led to an orgy of killings and destruction of property.
The 24-hour curfew was later extended to Jama’a and Kaura council areas when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded villages in the areas, killing many people.
The killings had continued unabated despite the curfew as the bandits raided communities and slaughtered people, especially women and children.
Property worth millions of naira were destroyed with thousands of displaced people in several internally displaced people’s (IDP) camps.
